Rohaizi, Rose Anessa Sofea (2026) Comparative study of DNA extraction methods for recovering degraded DNA from chewing gum under varied environmental condition. Project Report. Universiti Sains Malaysia. (Submitted)
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Abstract
Chewing gum is a potential source of forensic DNA due to its prolonged contact with saliva and frequent recovery at crime scenes. However, DNA deposited on chewing gum is often exposed to environmental factors that may compromise its integrity. This study aimed to evaluate the recovery and amplification of degraded DNA from chewing gum samples subjected to varied environmental conditions. Chewing gum samples were collected from human participants and exposed to different environmental conditions over multiple time intervals to simulate realistic forensic scenarios. DNA extraction was performed using the Chelex® 100 resin method. The recovered DNA was assessed using agarose gel electrophoresis, spectrophotometric analysis, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to evaluate DNA presence, degradation patterns, and amplification success. Agarose gel electrophoresis revealed varying degrees of DNA degradation across samples, with increased fragmentation observed in samples exposed for longer durations. Conventional PCR targeting short human-specific amplicons demonstrated successful amplification in selected samples, indicating the presence of amplifiable DNA despite environmental exposure. qPCR analysis further confirmed the detection of human DNA in multiple samples, although amplification efficiency varied depending on exposure conditions and duration. The results indicate that chewing gum can retain detectable and amplifiable human DNA following environmental exposure, although DNA quality is influenced by time and environmental factors. This study provides empirical data on DNA persistence and degradation in chewing gum samples and supports the forensic relevance of chewing gum as a source of trace DNA. The findings contribute to the limited body of forensic literature on unconventional biological substrates and offer insight into the challenges of DNA recovery from environmentally exposed salivary evidence.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Chewing gum |
| Subjects: | R Medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine |
| Divisions: | Kampus Kesihatan (Health Campus) > Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan (School of Health Sciences) > Monograph |
| Depositing User: | MUHAMMAD AKIF AIMAN AB SHUKOR |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Aug 2026 00:27 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Oct 2026 02:46 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usm.my/id/eprint/64823 |
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